Disposable finger wash device



Jan. 9, 1968 w KNORR Q 3,362,776

DISPOSABLE FINGER WASH DEVICE Filed Jan. 3, 1966 -5 183mm PLASTIC 2G 24INVENTOR 1 LOUIS W. KNORR WWW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,362,776DISPOSABLE FINGER WASH DEVICE Louis W. Knorr, 25 Bedford St, Forty Fort,Pa. 18704 Filed Jan. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 518,228 5 Claims. (Cl. 401-8)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disposable finger wash device of thisinvention takes the place of a finger bowl, and is much more serviceablethan a finger bowl. The wash device of this invention consists basicallyof a wrapper of absorbent material, such as absorbent paper,particularly tear resistant wet-proof paper toweling. Enclosed withinthe wrapper is a rupturable capsule containing a detergent or cleansingliquid. This is the basic invention and it remains dry until ready foruse, which is done by merely crushing the capsule within the wrapperbetween the fingers, thus wetting the wrapper with the liquid. Thewetted wrapper is used for cleansing the skin and also lips, cheeks,chin, or other parts of the body. In addition the wrapper with itscontained capsule may be secured on the handle for ready manipulation,and the handle is preferably in the form of a disc with a dependingfrusto-conical flange so that it may be set on a table or othersupporting surface with the wrapper out of contact therewith, ready foruse by picking it up, holding the handle in one hand, squeezing thewrapper to break the capsule with the other hand, and then rubbing itover the skin area to be cleaned.

Objects of the invention This invention relates to a disposable fingerWash device and has for an object to provide a disposable wash device tobe manipulated by a persons fingers to ready it for washing his or herskin, including not only the skin on the fingers and hands, but also onthe lips or chin and cheeks of the face as desired.

A further object of this invention is to provide a disposable fingerwash device which takes the place of a finger bowl but has the advantagethereover that it is brought in dry condition to the user at the time ofuse, and by finger manipulation, an absorbent, flexible wrapper iswetted by a contained rupturable capsule having cleansing liquid thereinso that the wetted wrapper serves in cleansing the skin of the fingersand of elsewhere.

A further object of this invention is to provide an initially dry fingerwash device which may be set on the table and remain in dry conditionuntil manipulated for use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a disposable fingerwash device intended for table use in airplanes, in restaurants,hospitals, hotels, motels, ships, automobiles, schools, picnics, lunchrooms and elsewhere Wherever food may be consumed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a disposable fingerwash device which, basically, is an absorbent wrapper with an enclosedcapsule readily rupturable by finger manipulation, which remains dryindefinitely until ready for use, the capsule containing a cleansingliquid such as a detergent dissolved in water.

A further object of this invention is to provide a disposable fingerwash device wherein a rupturable capsule containing a cleansing liquidis enclosed in a wrapper, and wherein the wrapper is supported orsecured to a base also serving as a handle, and wherein the wrapper maybe formed into wings between which the fingers may fit for manipulation,the rupturable capsule with its cleansing liquid being located in theaxis of the area from which the wings extend, the base being in the formof a disc with an outwardly flaring rim, a portion of the wrapperextending through a central aperture in the disc and secured thereto onthe rim side thereof.

In brief, this invention consists basically of an initially dry wrapperof disposable tear-resistant wet-proof absorbent material, such asabsorbent paper or other fabric, with an enclosed rupturable capsulecontaining a cleansing liquid such as water and detergent, which whenfinger manipulated, ruptures to wet the wrapper and make it usable tocleanse the skin of the fingers and elsewhere. In addition, a handlebase may be provided, the wrapper being secured thereto, so that it maybe readily set on a table waiting to be used, and be held thereby in onehand while rupturing the capsule with the fingers of the other hand. Thewrapper may extend through an opening in the base and be securedthereto, a rim depending from the base on the side to which the wrapperis thus secured, so that the device may rest on the rim on a supportingsurface when not in use. Further, the wrapper may be formed in the shapeof a plurality of wings between which the manipulating fingers may beplaced, with the rupturable capsule in the central area between thewings, so that, by twisting the wings into a spiral, the capsule isruptured, the wings are wetted, and the fingers are cleansed.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists inthe details of construction and combination of parts, as will be morefully understood from the following description, when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the disposable finger wash device ofthis invention being manipulated to rupture the enclosed capsule.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the most sophisticated form of this device.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a less sophisticated form of thedevice.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of FIG. 4.

In the drawings, like numbers refer to like parts, and for purposes ofexplication, marshalled below are the numbered parts of the improveddisposable finger wash device;

10.disposable finger wash device 12.wrapper 14.rupturable capsule16.cleansing liquid 18.handle base 20.-central aperture in 1822.adhesive 24.outwardly flared rim or flange on 18 26.wrapper extendingacross 20 28.-wings of wrapper in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 30.cylindrical shapeof capsule in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 32.-fingers of right hand 34.right hand36.fingers of left hand 38.left hand.

There is shown at 10 the disposable finger wash device of this inventionwhich takes the place of a finger bowl and is much more serviceable thana finger bowl, as will hereinafter become apparent. The device 10consists basically of a wrapper 12 of absorbent material, such asabsorbent paper or other inexpensive flexible absorbent fabric. Onesuitable form of absorbent paper is the wetproof paper towel now on themarket, such paper being highly absorbent and very tear-resistant whenit is wetted. Enclosed within this wrapper 12 is a rupturable capsule 14containing a detergent or cleansing liquid 16, such as water containingdissolved soap, synthetic detergent or any other material havingsuitable cleansing properties for the human skin. This is applicantsbasic invention; as thus far described, it remains dry until readied foruse, which is done by merely crushing the capsule between the fingers,thus wetting the wrapper 12 with the liquid 16, and the wetted wrapper12 is used for cleansing the skin of the fingers, and also, as desired,the skin elsewhere, as the hands, the lips, the cheeks or the chin. Therupturable capsule is of any suitable construction, and may be of theconstruction shown in Patents Nos. 2,539,457 and 2,606,121, that is, thecapsule that contained the food dye for coloring white margarine whichwas thus marketed in the 1950s.

In a more sophisticated form of this invention, the wrap-per 12 issecured to a handle base 18 by having a portion thereof extended througha central aperture 20 and secured to the opposite side thereof byadhesive 22. The handle base 18 is of any suitable rigid inexpensivematerial such as cardboard, sturdy paper as in FIGS. 2 and 3, orinexpensive plastic as in FIGS. 4 and 5, and is preferably circular inoutline. In addition, an outwardly flared flange or rim 24 is providedat its circular edge, and serves as a handle when manually manipulatingthe device, as shown in FIG. 1, or as a support for resting it on atable surface waiting to be used. To prevent the liquid 14 from beinglost through the aperture 20, some of the wrapper may be turned back andstuffed therein, as shown at 26.

In operation, the handle base 18 is in the fingers 32 of one hand 34grasped by the rim 24, and the wrapper 12 is grasped by the fingers 36of the other hand 38 and the hands 34 and 38 are twisted to thus breakthe capsule 14, saturating the wrapper 12 and cleansing the skin of thefingers or of other parts of the human body on which it is rubbed.

In the most sophisticated form of this invention, the Wrapper 12 isshaped to provide wings 28 between which the fingers 36 are placed whenmanipulating the wrapper 12 and the enclosed capsule 14, which may thenbe generally cylindrical as shown at and located in the axis of the baseaperture 20. As thus formed, the capsule 30 is more readily grasped bythe fingers entering between the wings 28, and twisting handle 24 in onehand causes the fingers 36 of the other hand 38 to twist the wings 28into a wetted spiral to more thoroughly cleanse the sides of thefingers. Such wings 28 are shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, which also shows ahandle base 18 of rigid cardboard; in FIGS. 4 and 5, the wrapper 12 isshown somewhat spherical in shape, and the handle base 18 is shown asbeing of an inexpensive, disposable rigid plastic.

In either form, it remains dry until used, and thus may be storedindefinitely. It may be brought to the table, instead of a finger bowland then when needed, it is picked up and manipulated to break thecapsule and cleanse the skin.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, suchdescription is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting,since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of theinvention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, whatis claimed is:

1. A disposable finger wash device comprising a flexible wet-prooftear-resistant absorbent wrapper and a rupturable flexible capsuleenclosed within said absorbent wrapper, said capsule containing a skincleansing liquid therein, whereby when said capsule is manually rupturedby finger manipulation, the contained liquid wets the enclosing wrapperfor use in cleansing a persons skin and a handle base of substantiallyrigid but inexpensive disposable material to which said absorbentwrapper is secured, the length and width of said base being greater thanthe corresponding dimensions of the unruptured capsule, the deviceresting on said handle base when not in use.

2. A disposable finger wash device comprising a flexible absorbentwrapper and a rupturable flexible capsule enclosed within said absorbentwrapper, said capsule containing a skin cleansing liquid therein,whereby when said capsule is manually ruptured by finger manipulation,the contained liquid wets the enclosing wrapper for use in cleansing apersons skin, and a handle base of substantially rigid but inexpensive,disposable material to which said absorbent wrapper is secured, thedevice resting on said handle base when not in use, said wrapper beingformed into a plurality of wings extending outwardly from an axissubstantially vertical to said base, said capsule being located at saidaxis.

3. A disposable finger wash device comprising a flexible absorbentwrapper and a rupturable flexible capsule enclosed within said absorbentwrapper, said capsule containing a skin cleansing liquid therein,whereby when said capsule is manually ruptured by finger manipulation,the contained liquid wets the enclosing wrapper for use in cleansing aperson's skin, and a handle base of substantially rigid but inexpensive,disposable material to which said absorbent wrapper is secured, thedevice resting on said handle base when not in use, said handle basecomprising a plane portion having a depending rim, said wrapperextending through an aperture in said plane portion of said base andbeing secured to said base on the rim side thereof.

4. The device of claim 3, said plane portion being circular, saidwrapper receiving aperture being located at the center of said circularplane portion, said rim flaring outwardly from said plane portion andproviding a support for said device when not in use, and a handle forsaid device when in use.

5. The device of claim 4, said wrapper being formed into a plurality ofwings extending outwardly from the axis through said wrapper receivingaperture, said capsule being located at said axis, said capsule beingrupturable by placing the fingers between said wings and twisting saidwings into a spiral.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,820,259 8/ 1931 Wandel.2,209,914 7/1940 Gerber et a1. 15-539 2,249,912 7/1941 Oxley 15-2092,438,037 5/ 1948 Chapman. 2,560,649 7/ 1951 Hornaday 252- 2,624,9001/1953 Smith 15538 2,695,704 11/ 1954 McGredy. 2,727,515 12/ 1955 Holt.2,763,885 9/1956 Lyons 15539 XR 2,778,045 1/1957 Bly et al 15539 XR2,790,982 5/1957 Schneider 15-639 XR 3,055,035 9/1962 Suoselman.3,060,486 10/1962 Lewis 15539 3,105,989 10/1963 Bell et al 15209 FOREIGNPATENTS 28,302 12/1913 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner, R, I, SMITH, Assistant Examiner,

